The University of Southern California athletics program has been on a high since December when star quarterback Caleb Williams became the school’s record eighth Heisman Trophy winner.
USC has a who’s who of stars and big names in and around the campus. This month brought the commitment of Bronny James to USC, along with Natalia Bryant, daughter of the late Kobe Bryant, who also attends the university and once dreamed of joining the women’s volleyball team before tragic death of her father. And although she didn’t play sports, Sasha Obama, daughter of former President Barack Obama just graduated from the school last week.
But for some reason the athletics department just can’t seem to stay on the right side of things. The most recent instance of this was athletics director Mike Bohn abruptly resigning after the Los Angeles Times directly questioned the school and Bohn himself about his management of the athletics department. The Times also reported that four current and former school employees mentioned that other staffers had concerns about how Bohn ran the Trojans athletics department.
Bohn, on the other hand, cited “ongoing health challenges” as part of the reason for his sudden resignation. He also mentioned his family as a reason why he’s stepping down.
“In moving on, it is important now that I focus on being present with my treasured family, addressing ongoing health challenges, and reflecting on how I can be impactful in the future.”
Bohn Allegedly Made Comments About Female Colleagues’ Appearances
“Bohn made inappropriate comments about the physical appearance of female colleagues, including remarks about their dress, hair and weight, that staff members said made them feel uncomfortable, according to two sources with knowledge of the incidents. They spoke on the condition of anonymity fearing retaliation. They said Bohn’s comments left colleagues — especially women — feeling awkward.”
The Bohn resignation comes on the heels of the USC admissions scandal that came to light in the criminal probe known as “Operation Varsity Blues.” Donna Heidel, the school’s former senior associate athletics director, was sentenced in January of this year for her part in the scandal.
Bohn’s departure comes on the heels of the L.A. Times reporting a lot of things about the now-embattled former AD who hired popular and very successful head football coach Lincoln Riley away from Oklahoma after the 2021 college football season.
Bohn was reportedly approached concerning the damning comments, but the former Cincinnati AD didn’t stop.
The Times reportedly spoke to several USC sources who questioned Bohn’s management or mismanagement of the department. The sources described Bohn as a bad manager who routinely skipped meetings and even wasn’t present at the major sporting events of the program, including national championship wins by the Trojans.
They also alleged that when he did attend meetings he avoided any conflict, meaning he stayed away from the difficult questions.
Despite Bohn’s Alleged Track Record, He Guided Program To Lucrative Big Ten Deal
Bohn’s resignation comes at a time when the Trojans are slated to play their last season in the Pac-12 before departing for the Big Ten. While the football and basketball programs are in good hands with the aforementioned Riley and head basketball coach Andy Enfeld leading the way, the athletics program as a whole could suffer if they don’t find the right replacement.
As the search for a new athletics leader begins soon, the football and basketball programs are also expected to be in contention for conference titles and for the football program a national championship in 2023.